J A C K S O N
THE V OL. 49, ISSUE 9
P R E P A R A T O R Y
S C H O O L
S E N T RY
NON-PROFIT U.S. POSTAGE Paid Jackson, MS Permit #93
APRIL 2019
Prep Fest a success despite bad weather by bennet carter
Staff Writer
April 12 and 13 were busy and exciting days for Prep’s Parent and Teacher Association (the “PAT”). Prep Fest, the PAT’s annual fundraising weekend, was comprised of Friday evening’s Supper Soiree and Saturday’s Revolutionary Fair featuring the Battle of the Bands. Ms. Milicent Crosby served as this year’s Prep Fest chair. Supper Soiree was held Friday evening at the Westin in downtown Jackson and was an adultsonly event. The night began with a cocktail hour for Prep Fest sponsors with music by the Pryor Band. Guests were able to preview 84 pieces of original artwork included in the first ever Revolutionary Art Drawdown. The Drawdown was the brainchild of Drawdown cochairs, Ms. Stacy Underwood and Ms. Allison Fisackerly. Drawdown tickets were sold for $100 each, giving each ticket holder the opportunity to go home with an original piece of art at the end of the night.
Seventyeight artists donated to the effort. Next, everyone enjoyed a familystyle dinner prepared by Chef Nick Wallace. Throughout the dinner, each Drawdown ticket holder’s name was drawn in random order, and they then chose their favorite piece to take home. In addition to the Drawdown, two additional pieces of art and a private dinner prepared by Chef Nick Wallace were auctioned in a live auction. Prep’s own Laura Bishop was the big winner, taking home a 48”x48” William Goodman piece entitled “The Fallout.”
On Saturday afternoon, despite the threat of severe weather, the Revolutionary Fair returned to the Prep campus for the first time in about 20 years. Originally intended to take place outdoors on Patriot Avenue and Patriot Way, the Revolutionary Fair was moved into the Manning Center due to storms. PAT President Ms. Adrienne Carter said, “Moving the event into the Manning Center actually made it feel very similar to the Revolutionary Fair of years past when it was in the ‘old gym.’ The space was perfect.”
Welty scholars discuss author in Masterclass Eudora Welty’s literature is a staple in most English literature classes, yet many students at Jackson Prep know relatively little about her. To remedy this, Prep librarian Ms. Norma Cox decided to hold a Masterclass with two doctors that studied Welty in detail. Masterclass is a program started by Ms. Cox in 2018 in which students interested in a certain subject attend a seminar with a professional in that subject. For the most recent (all-girls) Masterclass, held on April 5, Dr. Suzanne Marrs and
Jackson’s First Lady Dr. Ebony Lumumba visited the Jackson Prep campus to discuss one of America’s most famous writers. Dr. Marrs was first interested in the Mississippi author when she was told she would teach a women writers course and should implement some of Welty’s literature into the curriculum. The first Welty book she read was Losing Battles. After she finished it, Marrs fell in love with Welty’s writing and decided to study the author during her sabbatical leave. Welty and Marrs soon met and became good friends after Marrs sent a letter to Ms. Charlotte
Capers asking to interview Welty for research. Dr. Lumumba, however, became interested in Welty’s work at a young age. She first listened to a recording of “Why I live at the P.O.” and said, “I was
drawn in by the tone of Ms. Welty’s voice-it was so rich, and warm, and inviting-and also by the contents of the story.” Although she never got the chance to meet Welty, Dr. Lumumba ended up
News/Features
Entertainment
Around Town
Sports
Opinion
Prom- pg. 3
Billie Elish - pg. 8
Nandys Candy - pg. 11
Baseball -pg. 13
Censorship - pg. 15
by Victoria chough
Staff Writer
News/Features - 3
eNtertaiNmeNt - 8
arouNd towN - 10
studying her throughout her career. Both picked separate Welty short-stories and described the Mississippi native’s writing to be outstandingly unique and in-depth. Unlike most authors, Welty had a skill for being able to mimic characters in a perfectly relatable way, which made her work more enjoyable and relatable for some readers. Dr. Lumumba even related her “crazy” family to the family in “Why I Live at the P.O.” Dr. Lumumba chose the story “A Pageant of Birds” to discuss more in depth. The story is a true
-continued on pg. 4
sports - 12 opiNioN - 14